Box for a hearing device

ABSTRACT

The invention relates to designing cases for hearing apparatuses more cost-effectively and ensuring an improved degree of hygiene. A box has an outer shell made out of a first plastic and an interior lining made out of a second plastic that is softer than the first plastic. The interior lining is attached to the inner wall of the outer shell. The interior lining is injected onto the outer shell. One or a number of hold-down devices formed in one piece with the interior lining protrude into the internal space of the interior lining in order to hold the hearing apparatus there. A jointless compound forms with the outer shell so that the soft interior lining is injected onto the hard outer shell. Water is thus unable to permeate into possible joints during cleaning and the case can be cleaned in a dishwasher for instance in respect of improved hygiene.

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application claims priority of German application No. 10 2006 028 054.7 filed Jun. 14, 2006, which is incorporated by reference herein in its entirety.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a case and/or a box for storing a hearing device having an outer shell made out of a first plastic and having an interior lining made out of a second plastic, said interior lining being attached to the inner wall of the outer shell, with the second plastic being softer than the first plastic.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Cases for hearing devices typically come into contact with cerumen (earwax) if, after use, the hearing devices are stored therein. Other contamination such as dust and suchlike are however also introduced into the case with the hearing devices. The case thus requires regular cleaning. Until now, cases could only be cleaned by wiping them out, this often being to some extent very difficult for the user by virtue of further physical impairments, which often materialize with age. Furthermore, not all areas of the case can be easily reached. In many cases, hygiene suffers from these shortcomings.

Cleaning the case using running water is often not acceptable, since moisture can permeate between an interior lining and the hard outer shell, said moisture possibly negatively affecting the service life and/or function of the devices while hearing devices are being stored.

By way of example, foldable hearing device cases are available on the market, the interior lining of which comprises a type of bellows, which is used to hold a hearing device down in the case. While holding down said hearing device, air escapes from the bellows and a defined pressure is exerted on the hearing device. This also means however that while intensively rinsing the case, water can reach the bellows. Water can thus no longer be completely removed from the bellows, as a result of which the hearing device would be continuously exposed to an increased air humidity or water.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The object of the present invention thus consists in suggesting a case for a hearing device, which can be easily cleaned with water and can then be dried in a similarly effective and user-friendly manner.

This object is achieved in accordance with the invention by a box for storing a hearing device having an outer shell made out of a first plastic and having an interior lining made out of a second plastic, said interior lining being attached to the inner wall of the outer shell, with the second plastic being softer than the first plastic. The interior lining is injected onto the outer shell and one or a number of hold-down devices, which is/are formed in one piece with the interior lining, protrude into the internal space of the interior lining in order to hold the hearing device there.

Advantageously, a box designed in such a manner can be cleaned using running water or even in the dishwasher, since no water can be retained in the case and thus impair the hearing device. The cleaning is thus carried out in a simple manner, is easily manageable and results in an improved hygiene.

The system of the hold-down devices is also advantageous in that hearing devices with a thin sound tube or external earpiece (e.g. for open supply) can be easily fixed, without damaging the thin tube and/or the earpiece supply line.

The hold-down devices are preferably formed at least partially in the form of bristles. Gentle pressure can thus be exerted onto the device in the case, which can be suitably adjusted with the strength of the bristles.

The hold-down devices can also be designed at least partially in laminated form. The laminated thickness also allows the pressure on the hearing device to be stored to be adjusted here in a suitable manner. Hybrid forms of bristle-like, laminated and similar hold-down devices and/or hold-down systems are naturally also possible.

The second plastic is advantageously designed to be rubber-like. Such an interior lining allows damages to the hearing device to be stored to be practically eliminated.

Foot sections are favorably injected onto the interior lining, said foot sections protruding outwards through corresponding foot recesses in the outer shell and forming feet of the box. As the second plastic is softer than the first plastic, an improved slip resistance of the feet compared with the hard outer shell thus generally results. To this end, it is particularly favorable if the second plastic is rubber-like, so that a correspondingly high grip of the feet of the box can be achieved. A further advantage of such feet thus consists in said feet not needing to be attached to the box as separate parts, thereby reducing the logistics and assembly effort.

Analogous to the feet, at least one grip section can also be injected onto the interior lining, said grip section protruding outwards through a corresponding grip recess in the outer shell and/or having the ability to be gripped from the outside and forming a handle of the box. The grip of a cover of the box can herewith be increased for instance. Particular advantages can in turn be expected if the second plastic, i.e. the grip section, is designed like a rubber, thereby affording a correspondingly effective grip. Since the grip section is also designed here in one piece with the interior lining, advantages again result by virtue of the reduced logistics and assembly outlay.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The present invention is now described in more detail with reference to the appended drawing, which shows an inventive case for the hearing device.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

The exemplary embodiments illustrated in more detail below represent preferred embodiments of the present invention.

The inventive case for a hearing device shown in the FIGURE has a base body 1 and a cover 2 fastened in a rotatable manner thereto. The base body 1 consists of a hard outer shell 10 and a rubber-like soft interior lining 11. The cover 2 similarly has a hard outer shell 20 and a soft, rubber-like interior lining 21 inserted therein. The soft interior lining 11, 21 is injected in a two-component method onto the respective hard outer shell 10, 20 and a jointless compound forms with the respective shell. The case can thus be cleaned under running water or even in the dishwasher, since no water can be retained in the case and impair the hearing device. The cleaning can thus be carried out in a simple manner. A considerable improvement in respect of hygiene can herewith be achieved.

The jointless compound enables capillar actions to be prevented, said capillary actions possibly being responsible for water being retained over a longer time between the outer shell 10, 20 and the interior lining 11, 21.

Here, the hearing device or hearing devices is/are not fixed in the case by way of air-filled cushion constructions, but instead via thin, flexible hold-down devices. In the example in the FIGURE, the hold-down devices are designed as bristles 22. Since they are made out of the same, elastic, rubber-like material as the interior lining 21, they do not damage the hearing device to be stored. Instead they exert a gentle pressure on the hearing device/s, so that the hearing device/s is/are unable or hardly able to slip in the box. To this end, it is also favorable if the surface of the interior lining is accordingly non-slip. A rubber-like material, which accounts for high friction force, is thus advantageous for the interior lining. The system of hold-down devices is also advantageous in that hearing devices with a thin sound tube or external earpiece can again be enclosed in the case, without the thin tube and/or the earpiece supply line being damaged.

The case shown in the Figure also has gripping 23 and 24 on the comers of the cover. The gripping areas 23 and 24 consist in this example of parallel, small, collar-shaped strips 25. These strips 25 protrude outwards through corresponding recesses in the outer shell 20 and are injected in one piece with the interior lining 21. The fact that the strips consist of a soft, rubber-like and thus gripping material makes them particularly suited to increasing the grip of the cover 2 to open the case.

Feet are similarly injected onto the interior lining 11 at the base of the base body 1, said feet in turn protruding through recesses of the outer shell 10 provided herefor. These rubber-like feet improve the slip-resistance of the case.

The hold-down devices can essentially also be formed differently than shown in the exemplary embodiment of the FIGURE. The hold-down devices can also consist for instance of a mixture of bristles and lamina. Furthermore, the hold-down devices can also be arranged in concentric circles. In some circumstances it is favorable, additionally or alternatively, to provide hold-down devices of this type in the base body 1. It is only essential for the hold-down devices to be flexible and to be formed in one piece with the respective interior lining 11, 21. 

1-6. (canceled)
 7. A box for storing a hearing device, comprising: an outer shell made out of a first plastic; an interior lining made out of a second plastic that is softer than the first plastic, the interior lining being injected onto the outer shell and attached to an inner wall of the outer shell; and a hold-down device that is arranged in one piece with the interior lining and protrudes into an internal space of the interior lining for holding the hearing device.
 8. The box as claimed in claim 7, wherein the hold-down device is thin and flexible.
 9. The box as claimed in claim 7, wherein the hold-down device is at least partially bristles.
 10. The box as claimed in claim 7, wherein the hold-down device is at least partially laminated.
 11. The box as claimed in claim 7, wherein the hold-down device is a hybrid of bristles and lamina.
 12. The box as claimed in claim 7, wherein the second plastic is a rubber-like material.
 13. The box as claimed in claim 7, wherein a foot section is injected onto the interior lining and protrudes outwards through a corresponding foot recess in the outer shell.
 14. The box as claimed in claim 13, wherein the foot section provides a foot of the box.
 15. The box as claimed in claim 7, wherein a grip section is injected onto the interior lining and protrudes outwards through a corresponding grip recess in the outer shell.
 16. The box as claimed in claim 15, wherein the grip section provides a handle of the box.
 17. A method for manufacturing a box for storing a hearing device, comprising: making an outer shell of the box from a first plastic; making an interior lining of the box from a second plastic that is softer than the first plastic; injecting the interior lining onto the outer shell and attached to an inner wall of the outer shell; and arranging a hold-down device in one piece with the interior lining and protruding into an internal space of the interior lining for holding the hearing device.
 18. The method as claimed in claim 17, wherein the hold-down device is thin and flexible.
 19. The method as claimed in claim 17, wherein the hold-down device is at least partially bristles.
 20. The method as claimed in claim 17, wherein the hold-down device is at least partially laminated.
 21. The method as claimed in claim 17, wherein the hold-down device is a hybrid of bristles and lamina.
 22. The method as claimed in claim 17, wherein the second plastic is a rubber- like material.
 23. The method as claimed in claim 17, wherein a foot section is injected onto the interior lining and protrudes outwards through a corresponding foot recess in the outer shell.
 24. The method as claimed in claim 23, wherein the foot section provides a foot of the box.
 25. The method as claimed in claim 17, wherein a grip section is injected onto the interior lining and protrudes outwards through a corresponding grip recess in the outer shell.
 26. The method as claimed in claim 25, wherein the grip section provides a handle of the box. 